Changes to the law of succession are good for the monarchy because they make
the rules fairer, a former adviser to the Queen said.

However, one former Palace official called for greater assurances from the Roman Catholic Church that any heir to the throne would be raised as an Anglican.

Under the Government’s plans, a first-born daughter of the Duke of Cambridge would become Queen, even if she had a younger brother, while Roman Catholics would no longer be banned from marrying heirs to the throne.

Lord Janvrin who, as private secretary between 1999 and 2007, was the Queen’s main channel of communication with the Government, said the proposals would help modernise the monarchy.

Speaking in a debate on the reforms in the House of Lords, the cross-bencher said the Bill “will strengthen the monarchy” without undermining the constitution.

“It will also strengthen one of our fundamental national values — that sense of fairness,” he said. “It does so in a way that takes account of the change in modern realities without prejudicing some of the other important parts of our constitutional framework.”

Some constitutional experts have raised concerns that the independence of the Church of England from Rome could be jeopardised if an heir or monarch were allowed to marry a Roman Catholic. The Queen is the head of the Church of England.

The plans were said to have been questioned by the Prince of Wales in private meetings with Whitehall officials.

Lord Luce, the former Lord Chamberlain of the Queen’s Household, urged ministers to hold talks with the Vatican to ensure that there was no “misunderstanding” over the special status of the monarch as head of the Established Church.

“For children to retain their place in the line of succession, they must be brought up within the Anglican faith,” he told the Lords.

Some have suggested that current Church laws mean that royal parents should use “their best endeavours” to ensure that their children grow up as Anglicans, rather than Roman Catholics, he said. Lord Luce questioned whether this was “sufficient assurance”.

“I ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they would consider exploring with the Roman Catholic Church, but perhaps particularly with the Archbishop of Westminster, whether it will clarify further its attitude,” he said.

The peer suggested that the Catholic Church should make a clear statement that it accepts “the importance of the role” of the Church of England and that royal children of an inter-faith marriage “would be likely to be brought up in the Anglican faith”.

However, Lord Luce welcomed the bulk of the Bill, saying the “heart” of the reform was rightly intended to end discrimination against women and Roman Catholics.

“The strengths of the monarchy, as we know, include not only the service that the monarch gives to the community, which is its most important strength, but the ability of the monarchy to adapt to new circumstances,” he said. “This Bill is an indication of just that.”